Along the Natchez Trace

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday, Dave Muth

Copyright 2010, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Stumbled upon this small memorial (size about 5 inches wide by 3 inches in height) while Man and I visited the Grapevine Texas holiday light show. I did not edit the photo, you can see the red and green glow from the holiday lights. The stone was just laying there. If it had been covered with more leaves I would not have even seen it. I had to photograph it.

I found David's obituary, which was published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) on October 29, 2008. I chose to not copy the names of his survivors, to allow them some privacy. Here is, in part, the obituary I found online:

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations in Dave's name be sent to Community Storehouse, Box 13, Keller, Texas 76244.

Dave was born May 2, 1951, in Grove City, Pa. He was an outstanding football player, earning a scholarship to the University of Richmond, and finishing his career as a student athlete as a Mount Union College Purple Raider of Alliance, Ohio.

After graduating from Mount Union, he began his career as an educator and coach in the Phoenix, Ariz., metropolitan area. He then moved on to coach at the college level at San Jose State University.

He married [name deleted by CABS] on May 28, 1978, and the couple raised four sons. Dave transitioned into the hospitality industry while working primarily for Quorum Hotels and Resorts. He served as general manager for the Hilton East Phoenix in Mesa, Ariz., and most recently in the same capacity for the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center.

Dave's greatest enthusiasms in life were family and sports, as shown by his years of coaching his sons in football and basketball. While in Phoenix, Dave enjoyed watching his son, [name deleted by CABS], playing football at St. Mary's High School and Fort Hays State (Kansas); his son, [name deleted by CABS], playing at Pinnacle High School and Stanford University; his son, [name deleted by CABS], winning a state championship in basketball at St. Mary's High School; and proudly escorting his son, [name deleted by CABS], to Texas A&M University this fall.

I am not sure if the stone was attached to the ground in any way. I did not try to nudge it or move it. I was so surprised to see it lying there and intent on getting a photo I did not take the best memory notes on position, etc. As usual I was hurrying to get the photo and catch up with the group. I believe this was an open garden type area where a lot of the displays were put up, a large area in the midst of town.

OKKK, did a Google Earth and Google Map lookie see on downtown Grapevine, there are two rather distinct open areas, one is the gazebo that I featured in lights in post on December 5, 2010. The other area, a bit north, same side of street (east) is where I found this small memorial. From Google Maps it appears to be a picnic/park/open air area to be enjoyed by all. Further snooping, I believe it is called Liberty Park.

Dave was my first cousin, and it was my Dad that brought him out to Phoenix from Pennsylvania. He lived with us during college breaks in the 70s, but after my dad passed away 16 years ago we'd mostly lost touch and had not heard from him for several years. We only found out yesterday about his passing... I ran across this page on a Google search. Still a little stunned... but a lovely memorial, and a nice picture. Thanks.

All photos on this blog are those taken by Man or Moi, unless otherwise noted. Documents are either from some great genealogy site or are scans of originals I have turned up in my years of research. Other images should be accompanied by some kind of source data.

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About Me

Things I love: Family, Grandchildren, Rving, computers (sometimes, but not when they are being bad), family history, yorkies, techy toys like my iToys, photography.
I am all of these, so I write about them all, and more.

Photo courtesy of Deborah Flynn Guinther

If you surf in and see a name in your family tree, please contact me, best way, of course, is by email. You know the routine, change the AT and the DOT:
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Which Am I?

Am I a genealogist or a family historian?

Well, both of course, how can you be one without the other?

A family historian depends on the genealogist to supply the facts.

A genealogist depends on the family historian to tell the stories.

Genealogist, family historian, I am one in the same.

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Favorite sayings

" Living on Earth isn't cheap, but it does include a yearly free trip around the sun." (Source unknown.)

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt

"The only difference between a rut and a grave...is the depth."

Chinese proverb: "To forget one's ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root."

"I sure wish they sold memory sticks for humans...I could use an upgrade."

"Don't let procrastination be your primary time management skill."

"If you are normal....no one will listen, If you're deranged....they will make you their leader."

"You're just jealous that the voices are talking to ME!"

"I'm quite sure that no friendship yields its true pleasure and nobility of nature without frequent communication, sympathy and service." (From George E. Woodberry)

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand." (From Henri Nouwen)

"Don't go where the road leads, rather go where there is no road and make a trail."

"Broken hearts are what give us strength, understanding and compassion."